Rerailing device.



Patented June 3, 1913. w

MMTE e n e H. P. HUGHES.

RBRAILING DEVICE.

. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1912.

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M @i l +V NN NN du .wld xw @N N Nm lell L I HINCHEY P. HUGHES, OF GREENWOOD, SOUTH CAROLINA.

RERAILING DEVICE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented June 3, 1913.

Application filed August 1, 1912. Serial No. 712,802.y

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be itknown that I, HINOHEY P. HUGHES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenwood, Greenwood county, State yof South CarolinaD have invented cert-ain new and useful Improvements in Rerailing De vices, of which the `following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to devices for replacing on a track trucks of cars or locomotives, and more particularly to a device of this class which is permanently secured in place at the switch of a siding` where derailment is most likely to occur and when it does occur the function of the device is to replace or rerail the car or engine While the latter is in motion.

The invention has for its principal object to generally improve and lessen the cost of manufacture of the device shown in the patent to J. W. Bodie No. 1,019,941.

Other objects and the novel features of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of part of a railroad track showing the switch at a siding with my improved rerailing means applied thereto, parts of the rails being broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view along line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view along line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing, A, A designate the main line rails, B, B the siding rails and C, C the switch points pivoted at D, D to the rails A and B respectively and operated simultaneously from the switch stand E through the operating rod E connected to both switch points C and C.

The rerailing device which is the subject of this invention is preferably used in pairs, one being placed in between rails A and B and another in opposition thereto between rails A and B. Another pair is set at the other end of the siding thus requiring four for each siding. As shown in Fig. 1 there is a right and left rerailing device, one being used to rerail the train on the main line in case the switch splits and the other is placed on the switch line to rerail the train in case the switch splits in switching olf cars or trains onto the siding.

yThe rerailing device is trapezoidal in shape and the long or non-parallel sides thereof are disposed alongside of the adjacent rails. At its ends the device has anchor sections 10 and 11 formed so that the central iiat portion of said anchor sections will rest flush against ties to which the device is anchored by spikes. The edges of said anchor sections 10 and 11 adjacent the rails are slightly offset so that they will fit flush over the edge of the foot or base flange of each rail and form lugs 12, 12 and 13, 13 which abut against the webs of the adjacent rails.

Intermediate the anchor sect-ions 10 and 11 the metal is formed into a rounded oval shaped section 14. As shown in Fig. 2 the oval section 14 has its apex 15 adjacent the rail B at the point where section line 2 2 intersects the same and is curved or convex in cross section in all directions. The section 14 gradually curves or slopes to the foot of rail A and has a lug 16 formed at the lower end to provide a foot by means of which it rests on the foot of rail A and abuts against the web of said rail. At its upper edge 15 the section 14 abuts against rail B and is on a level with the to surface of said rail. Extending downwardly from said curved section 14 at the edge 15 there an inclined bracing member 17 which has a foot or lug 18 formed at its lower edge by means of which the brace rests on the foot or base iiange of rail B and abuts against the web of rail B. The brace 17 is formed of sutiicient thickness to support the load carried by the curved section 14 and by the peculiar convex or arched construction the latter is braced in all directions so that it will not buckle inwardly or downwardly.

The dimensions of the device for ordinary use on standard gage tracks are eight feet in length by approximately eight inches in width at the central section. The length of the device is an important feature as one end of the same extends close to the switch point so that when the truck is derailed it will not be wrecked by jumping over a number of ties before it reaches the rerailing device. There are no Vfiat surfaces on the inclined portion 14, it being a rounded oval-shaped gradually rising surface insuring perfect rolling contact of the revolving wheels on the locomotive or car making` it impossible for a moving' train to pass over unless properly rerailed.

Bolts 9.() are passed through the rails and the rerailer therebetween so that the device will Aalways be in position with the rail, even if the ties work loose slightly from their true position. The bolts and spikes coperate tohold the device in position so that when i't is hit by a locomotive truck it will not give way, An angle iron 'comprising' an upstanding' lug` 21 is shown in Fig. 1 and maybe formed integral withthe device to take the place of the usual angle iron bolted to the rails at the rail joints. When placing' the device in 4position where two rails join the usual angle iron is removed and the up'standing` lug 21 on the rerailer takes it'splace.

The operation of the device is as follows, assuming' that a locomotive running on the main line runs int-o a switch which splits, switch point C moving slightly to the right in Fig. 1. The wheels on the truck will in most cases leave the track and when the width between rails permits will run on the flanges at the inner edges of the treads between rails A, B and A, B. The flanges fall onto the end sections 10, 10 and run up the gradually inclined surfaces 14. There will be a tendency for the wheels to move in the direction of the track on which the train is lproceeding and when the top of the inclined portions 14, 14: is reached there will be an unbalanced effect causing the lianges of the wheels to move to their proper track, the wheel between rails B and A riding' up the inclined rsurface 14 of the device between said rails and over the top of the rail A, the wheel between tracks A, Bvin the meantime sliding down incline 14 of the rerailing' devicebetween rails A and B and the tread thereof riding onto the top of rail A.

In case the switch splits when the train is running onto the siding track B, B, wheels between rails A, B will run up the incline and be pulled over rail B by wheels sliding' down incline 14 between rails A and B. The tread of the latter wheels will run onto the top of rail B. Y

'Owing' to the fact that the device is stamped out and is hollow, thin and of malleable steel; it may be manufactured much more cheaply than the cast device of the Bodie patent referred to, furthermore it is much lighter and may be handled much more easily than a cast block of material.

It V'will be seen that I have provided a simple and eliicient device for the protection of switches which will automatically place back on the track a car which becomes derailed by having` run into an open switch.

Having' thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. A rerailing device adapted to be associated with a switch on a ailway track, said device being' formed from sheet metal and comprising' means whereby the device may be secured to a part of the track structure and including` a portion which is formed to fit between the switch point and adjacent ail, and a curved section intermediate the ends of the device adapted to rerail a dcrailed wheel.

2. A one-piece rerailing device 'adapted to be set between rails adjacent a switch on a railroad track, said device comprising means at one of its ends for permanently anchoring the device to a tie, a section intermediate the ends havinga curved upper surface inclined toward the ends and one rail, the apex of the curved surface being' located adjacent the other rail, and bracing means extending from the edge adjacent the apex adapted to support the curved section at its highest point.

3. A trapezoidal-shaped one-piece rerailing device adapted to be set between rails adjacent a switch on a railroad track, the non-parallel edges being disposed alongside the rails, said device comprising fiat portions at its ends adapted to rest on and be permanently secured to ties, a section intermediate the ends having a curved upper surface and being curved in cross-section in all directions, the said curved surface being inclined to the ends and to one rail, the apex of the curved surface being disposed adjacent the other rail and at a level with the top thereof, and means engaging the foot and web of each rail to brace said curved section transversely.

4. A rerailing' device adapted to be permanently set between rails adjacent a switch on a railroad track, said device comprising means at its opposite ends whereby the device may rest on and be secured to railroad ties, said device having' a narrow part at one end adapted to lit between the switch point and adjacent rail, a curved section intermediate the ends adapted to rerail a derailed wheel, and means adapted to engage the rails and brace said curved section.

5. A rerailing device adapted to be permanently set between rails adjacent a switch on a railroad track, said device being formed from a single sheet of suitable metal and comprising anchor portions at its ends whereby the device may rest on and be secured to ties, one of the anchor portions being' constructed to extend between the movable switch point and the adjacent rail, a. curved section intermediate the ends adapted to rerail a derailed wheel, and means adapted to brace said curved section.

6. Rerailing means adapted to be permal nently associated with the movable switch points of a switch on a railroad track, said In testimony whereof I aflix my signature means comprising a pair of substantially in presence of two witnesses.

similar sheet metal rerailing devices,l each 1 having a part adapted to extend between the HINCHBY P' HUGHES' 5 switch point with which it is associated and Witnesses:

the adjacent rail, and means for fasteningy J. B. PARK,

each device to a part of the track structure. A. F. HAGAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

